ISLAMABAD: Iran and Pakistan have agreed to form a joint committee which would resolve border trade and logistics issues between the two nations, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday amid Islamabad’s push for regional connectivity.
Iran and Pakistan share a 900-kilometer porous border that they hope will be able to boost their transport and energy sectors as part of broader efforts to enhance regional connectivity and improve economic integration.
However, militancy in the two countries’ shared border area, which includes Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province and Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, has hindered trade and logistics cooperation. Both regions are restive, mineral-rich and largely underdeveloped due to decades-long separatist insurgencies.
“Pakistan and Iran have agreed to form a joint committee to resolve issues hampering border trade and logistics between the two countries, reaffirming their commitment to deepen economic cooperation and regional connectivity,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
This understanding was reached between the two sides during a meeting between Pakistan’s Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and Iran’s Minister for Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh in Islamabad, the state broadcaster said.
Sadegh expressed Iran’s desire to expand cooperation in maritime affairs through Chabahar and Gwadar ports, while Khan pointed out that Islamabad remains committed to facilitating regional trade and connectivity.
The development takes place amid Islamabad’s push to increase regional connectivity and trade relations as it attempts to escape a prolonged economic crisis that has drained its forex reserves and triggered a balance of payments crisis.
The South Asian country has attempted in recent years to establish what Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif describes as “mutually beneficial partnerships” with friendly countries rather than seek loans for economic survival.
Islamabad and Tehran have both voiced their desire to increase bilateral trade to $10 billion in recent months.
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan-based co-working startup announced this week it is expanding into with the launch of its flagship site in Riyadh, vowing to bring technology, art and culture to workplaces across the Kingdom as well.
COLABS provides small and medium enterprises, entrepreneurs and freelancers with spaces and a tech platform to build and grow their businesses in the country.
The entity says it operates across more than 10 locations in Pakistan and supports a thriving ecosystem of 5,000 plus members from 300 companies, which include Ernst and Young, Coke and Digital Ocean. The company says it has over 250 partners, including major players like such as Spotify and Google.
“COLABS is expanding to with the launch of our flagship site in Riyadh,” the startup said in a message to media on Saturday. “It’s an exciting time for us as our expansion is in partnership with leading entities like Waseel Investment and Shorooq.”
The entity said its move to enter the Saudi market not only underscores investor confidence in COLABS, but is in alignment with Vision 2030 and aims to strengthen business and creative ties between and Pakistan.
“With a new funding round bringing our total raised to over $5m, COLABS is set to expand into the KSA market, replicating its success by promoting a culture of innovation, networking, and community building in ,” it said.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit from Oct. 27-29 to attend the Future Investment Initiative (FII) summit, the foreign office said on Sunday, where he will also interact with the Saudi leadership to explore enhanced cooperation in trade, investment and other sectors.
The FII was launched in 2017 by ’s Public Investment Fund under its Vision 2030 program. The forum brings together global leaders, investors and innovators to explore investment opportunities and advance technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics and green finance.
This year’s summit is set to focus on the theme: ‘The Key to Prosperity: Unlocking New Frontiers of Growth’ to address global challenges and opportunities, focusing on key topics such as innovation, sustainability, economic inclusion and geopolitical shifts.
“At the invitation of His Royal Highness Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will lead a high-level delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, as well as senior Cabinet Ministers — to Riyadh from 27 to 29 October 2025 to participate in the Ninth Edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII9),” the foreign office said.
The statement said Sharif will engage with the Saudi leadership during his visit to explore avenues for enhanced cooperation in trade, investment, energy, and human resource sectors.
It added that the Pakistan- discussions will also cover regional and global issues of mutual interest.
“On the sidelines of FII9, the Prime Minister will also interact with leaders from other participating countries and heads of international organizations,” the foreign office said.
“These exchanges will highlight Pakistan’s investment potential and its readiness to pursue collaborations in sustainable development, in line with the Think, Exchange, and Act model.”
The statement said Sharif’s visit underscores Pakistan’s commitment to advancing economic diplomacy and fostering strategic partnerships in investment, technology and sustainable development.
Pakistan and have long enjoyed close ties but have sought to broaden cooperation in recent years, including a defense pact signed in Riyadh during the prime minister’s visit on Sept. 18 and 34 memorandums of understanding worth $2.8 billion across multiple sectors last year.
The landmark defense pact that formalized their decades-old security ties. As per the agreement, an attack on one country will be considered an attack against both.
The two nations share longstanding ties rooted in faith, mutual respect and strategic cooperation, with Riyadh remaining a key political and economic partner of Islamabad.
It also hosts over 2.5 million Pakistani expatriates, the largest source of remittances for Pakistan’s $407 billion economy.
ISLAMABAD: The second round of peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan to firm up an uneasy truce is still underway in Istanbul, with discussions focused on a three-point agenda that includes setting up a joint monitoring and oversight mechanism to curb cross-border militant movement, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday.
The talks in Istanbul, which began on Saturday and are expected to continue into Sunday, mark the latest attempt by Pakistan and Afghanistan to prevent a relapse into violence after the worst border fighting since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover of Kabul.
Clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan erupted earlier this month after Islamabad demanded the Taliban rein in militants it says are attacking Pakistan from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan. Kabul denies the allegations.
Pakistan launched airstrikes across the border earlier this month, after which both sides exchanged heavy fire, killing dozens and prompting the closure of key crossings that remain shut. Both countries reached a ceasefire agreement last week thanks to mediation from Qatar and Turkiye, and agreed to meet in Istanbul on Oct. 25 to ensure the peace lasts.
“The second round of talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban has not yet concluded, with deliberations on Pakistan’s proposal still underway in Istanbul,” state-run Pakistan TV Digital reported on Sunday, citing intelligence sources.
Citing intelligence sources, the state media said talks between the two sides on Saturday lasted nine hours, focusing on a three-point agenda: establishing a joint monitoring and oversight mechanism to curb cross-border militant movement; ensuring respect for national sovereignty under existing laws and international obligations; and addressing trade matters, refugee repatriation, and the separation of bilateral issues from internal political pressures.
While the Afghan delegation is being led by its deputy interior minister, Hajji Najib, Islamabad has not said who it has sent to the talks. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, however, warned on Saturday that if both sides fail to reach an agreement, it would mean “open war.”
“We have the option, if no agreement takes place, we have an open war with them,” he said in televised remarks from Pakistan. “But I saw that they want peace.”
Pakistan has seen a rise in militant attacks, especially in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province bordering Afghanistan, since the Taliban seized power in August 2021.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant outfit has launched some of the deadliest attacks targeting Pakistani civilians and security forces in the country since 2007 in its bid to impose its strict brand of Islamic law across the country.
Pakistan has carried out several military operations in KP for over a decade to drive out the militants from its northwestern tribal areas. Islamabad has vowed that it will not negotiate with TTP militants until they surrender.
KARACHI: Pakistan is capable of defending its maritime frontiers, the country’s naval chief said on Saturday, as he inducted three state-of-the-art 2400 TD hovercraft to further strengthen the navy’s operational capabilities, according to an official statement.
Admiral Naveed Ashraf made the remark while visiting forward posts in the country’s creek region, where he reviewed operational preparedness and combat readiness.
Addressing officers and men on the occasion, he said the induction of the new platforms symbolized the Pakistan Navy’s vision to modernize and bolster the country’s defense.
“We know how to defend our sovereignty and every inch of our maritime frontiers from Sir Creek to Jiwani,” he said, according to a statement circulated by the Directorate General Public Relations.
Ashraf reaffirmed the navy’s “defense capabilities stand as strong as our unwavering morale, from the shores to the sea.”
The official statement said the newly inducted hovercraft were capable of operating over a variety of surfaces, including shallow waters, sand dunes, marshy and boggy littoral zones and could move in areas where traditional craft are neither suitable nor designed to operate.
It added this unique capability of undertaking simultaneous operations over land and sea was expected to provide an edge to Pakistan Marines in performing their assigned tasks.
The admiral further reiterated that sea lines of communication and maritime security were not just military requirements but “a cornerstone of our nation’s sovereignty and a vital pillar of economic prosperity and stability.”
He described the Pakistan Navy as the “vanguard of peace and stability in the Indian Ocean Region” and a significant stakeholder in regional maritime security.
KARACHI: Two wrestlers strain and pull under the harsh glare of the sun, their feet digging into the dusty earth of the football ground. They grunt and twist, trying to unsettle the other and claim victory as hundreds watch with eager anticipation around them.
Scenes like this are typical at a malakhra contest, an ancient and traditional form of wrestling popular in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province. A malakhra showdown begins with both wrestlers, or “pehlwans” as they are known in Urdu, securing a twisted cloth known as a lungi around their opponent’s waist.
The wrestlers use the cloth to throw their opponent to the ground through strength and technique. The wrestler who falls to the ground loses the contest.
The traditional sport is believed to have originated in the ancient city of Mohenjo-Daro thousands of years ago. However, in a country where cricket dominates national passion, wrestlers often complain that malakhra receives little attention.
“This is the only game that has no stadiums, no academies,” Ghulam Nabi Sheedi, a former wrestler and general secretary of the Sindh Malakhra Association, told Arab News on the sidelines of a three-day tournament in Karachi this week.
“I want to say with regret that our game receives very little support from the government.”
Wrestlers compete in a 'Sindhi Malakhra' wrestling match, an ancient form of wrestling that originated in Pakistan's Sindh region, during a local tournament in Karachi on October 21, 2025. (AFP)
The tournament, held at Karachi’s Syed Mehmood Shah Bukhari football ground in the city’s Chanesar Goth area, featured 25 wrestlers, this year. The event is held annually to mark the death anniversary of a revered local saint, Syed Mehmood Shah.
The contests attract hundreds of people every year, a reflection of the sport’s popularity.
However, little government support means malakhra doesn’t have any dedicated facilities and is often held at unspecialized venues such as football grounds.
Khuda Bux Sheedi, another wrestler known by his ring name “Repeater Sheedi,” defeated top contender Rashid Ali Khatian to qualify for the next round of contests.
He echoed the same frustration.
“When you broadcast malakhra, the whole world watches,” he said. “But from the government side, we receive no recognition.”
‘WE HAVE PASSION, SO WE PLAY’
For participants and organizers, malakhra represents a connection to a deep historical legacy.
Behram Khasakheli, president of the Karachi Division Malakhra Association, says the sport dates back to Mohenjo-Daro, the center of the Indus Valley Civilization.
“It is not from today. It is a 5,000-year-old sport,” he said, adding that historical signs of wrestlers playing in a similar style can still be found at the ancient site.
Khasakheli recalled a time when malakhra brought prestige to the nation.
“Bakr Sheedi and Sher Mir Bar, let me remind you, competed against Indian wrestlers and the Indian wrestlers lost,” he said, mentioning the names of former Pakistani malakhra greats.
Today, with a lack of proper facilities at their disposal, wrestlers mostly compete on unsuitable grounds.
“There should be a little softer soil,” Ghulam Nabi Sheedi explained. “Someone could get injured, even die. But we have passion, so we play.”
Sarfaraz Moosa, another wrestler whose family has practiced malakhra for five generations, is all too familiar with the physical risks associated with the sport.
“It’s malakhra. Sometimes your foot goes, sometimes your leg,” he said. “We come with prayers. We leave home with prayers.”
Speaking to Arab News, Sadia Javed, the Sindh administration’s spokesperson, said the province fully supported malakhra.
“There is an endowment fund in place through which the sports department supports these wrestlers just as it supports other sportspersons,” she said. “In addition, when it comes to organizing events, the Sindh government facilitates and hosts malakhra competitions.”
Javed said the provincial administration also helps educated wrestlers secure jobs in various public departments, helping them earn a livelihood and support their families.
“So, to say that the Sindh government does not support malakhra would be incorrect,” she added. “However, since it is an old, traditional game, it doesn’t receive the same level of marketing or media attention as modern sports.”
